Occasionally the edges will have a slight ridge. They happen when the material was overlapped a little more than was needed. When this happens the weld is at its strongest because it joined the maximum amount of material.
Pool Dome Blowers
The dome is kept inflated by an air system including a Blower, a snorkel tube, and Pressure switch. The snorkel tube is made of vinyl and will therefore collapse shut or inflate open in conjunction with the blower turning off and on. The pressure switch determines the amount of air pressure in the dome will cause the blower to run or shut off in order to keep a constant air pressure. A steel insert keeps the dome wall from shutting off the air passage way.
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A plywood doghouse helps protect the blower from the elements. The pressure switch should be place next to the snorkel tube and kept free from debris or snow. With out this small devise the dome could over inflate and a blowout could occur. Or, the blower could shut off (and not come back on) and the dome would deflate (this takes a while). Most blowers run for a few seconds and then shut off for a few seconds and continually repeat this cycle. You will actually make a slit in the dome for the snorkel tube to feed through. The blanket covers this on the picture on the left. (Dog houses do not come painted)
THE AIR SEAL FLAP
A flap of loose vinyl (about 14 to 18 inches wide) will run the entire inside perimeter of the dome to create an air seal. When installing this, try to flatten it as much as possible to eliminate as many air leeks as possible. At corners you will need to fold the vinyl to help it to lay flat.
Air seal flaps are easiest to deal with on straight lines. We recommend at least a 3 ft inside perimeter around your pool to allow room for this flap and walking on the edge.
HARDWARE
The anchors and eyebolts are zinc coated steel and should be kept lubricated with a grease type lubrication (not WD-40). The dome will come with enough lube for the initial installation. You should generously lube the eyebolts as well as the anchors everytime you install or remove the dome. (Wood anchors are pictured on the right)
A vinyl coated steel cable will run the entire perimeter of the dome. You will be instructed to splice the two opposite ends together with the copper cable splices.
Notches will need to be cut out of the hemline of the pool to expose a portion of the cable. This part of the cable will loop over and into the eyebolts to secure the dome in place. Inside the hemline is an additional piece of reinforced vinyl to help handle the tension of the cable.
You will be required to pry open the eyebolts to allow room for the cable to enter in. To avoid having to do this, some customers purchase additional hardware such as removable chain links from their local hardware store.
Anchors (picture on right) are spaced 2 t 3 ft apart. You will be instructed where to put your anchors on a personalized Anchor Layout Sheet. When the dome is removed, only the anchors should remain. (The picture on the left shows the eyebolts still in the anchors.) You can acquire short screws locally to fill the void and keep debris from building up inside the anchor.
It is key to have accurate measurements for a smooth installation. You can re-drill a new hole but be careful not to crack the concrete. Do not fill and reuse the old hole.
ENTRIES
Most dome owners choose to have a straight zipper entry or an L zipper entry. Revolving airlock doors are popular for commercial applications. Proper Ph levels should be maintained in your pool water to extend the life of a revolving door (5-7 years with proper ph levels).
The Zipper entries (L or straight) can easily be replaced by snapping the new one right over the top of the old one.
Zippers do eventually wear out but will last the longest if they are kept well lubricated with a silicon type spray. L zippers open from bottom to top and from left to right (when facing the dome)
Some Customers have gotten very creative with their entries. If you would like to try something different, you can order just the plain vinyl. Remember that the dome sways in the wind and so if there is a stationary object connected to it, it may rip away.